Chrissy Teigen threatens legal action against Michael Costello in row over 'fake' messages

Chrissy Teigen has threatened legal action against fashion designer Michael Costello over allegations suggesting he was one of the model-turned-TV personality's cyberbullying victims.

The former Project Runway contestant went public with his Teigen dispute earlier this week after she apologised for her past Twitter posts, in which she admitted to bullying a number of celebrities.

Costello claimed he was left suicidal after she tried to have him blacklisted from the fashion community back in 2014, over an allegedly made-up Instagram comment in which he appeared to use a racial slur.

He shared a series of screenshots of direct messages he had purportedly exchanged with Teigen via Instagram years ago about what he insisted was a scam, but Teigen's representative declared the posts were "fake".

The model's husband, singer John Legend, even weighed in on the controversy on Twitter on Friday, branding the DM posts "fabricated," and adding, "This exchange was made up, completely fake, never happened (sic)."

Now, Teigen has personally responded to Costello's accusations, dismissing his allegations altogether.

"No idea what the f**k michael costello is doing," she wrote on Instagram. "He just released a statement where he didn't at ALL acknowledge how fake the dm's were, & now claims to have emails that don't exist."

Teigen went on to post more recent messages received from Costello, in which he heaps praise on her make-up and cooking.

"Imagine my surprise when I have these from the past 3 years," she continued, before issuing a plea to fans. "Please do NOT bully this man under the masquerade of defending me. I've taken it ALL. I've heard it all. I just beg for you to know the truth."

The mother-of-two then issued a legal threat against Costello if he failed to quit harassing her.

"Michael, you are now causing actual pain to people who are trying to better themselves. Enough. Or this WILL go further. Not here, but an actual court of law," the 35-year-old vowed. "And every dime we win will go to an anti-bullying charity focused on turning this s**t show into a positive. I wish you peace and healing. I have some places I've been attending if you'd like the connects."

Teigen also uploaded a full statement from her publicist, which read: "Chrissy has acknowledged her past behaviour and the pain she has caused, but she will not stand for anyone spreading false accusations to further demean her name and reputation.

"Chrissy will continue to do the work she needs to do to be the best person she can be. She hopes Michael Costello can do the same."

Her representative added, "Chrissy has every right to correct the record and defend her name. She is not interested in making Mr. Costello the target of harassment or abuse from anyone claiming to support her. She hopes this can be a time of honest reflection and healing."